Ryp Labs

Ryp Labs fights food waste and climate change with a simple, but powerful, technology that extends the shelf life of fresh food.

Each year, approximately $1 trillion worth of food is lost or wasted worldwide. That’s enough to feed 2 billion people, which is more than double the number who suffer from undernourishment. This global food loss and waste is also a major contributor to climate change. Food production and transportation generate significant carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and use huge amounts of water and energy. When this food ends up in landfills, rather than stomachs, it then generates methane, an even more potent greenhouse gas. In fact, if food waste was a country, it would have the third largest carbon footprint behind the United States and China. 

Ryp Labs develops cutting-edge technologies to combat food waste. The company has created a naturally-derived formula that significantly and safely extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by protecting them against post-harvest diseases. The proprietary formula contains many of the bioactive compounds that plants make to protect themselves. It can be applied to stickers that look much like those we already see on supermarket produce, such as oranges and avocados, or to packaging, like the clamshells in which berries and grapes are sold. When the formula is activated, via sticker or other means, it releases a vapor that forms a protective shield against spoilage. This keeps produce nutritious, appealing, and salable for longer. It could directly benefit the smallholder farmers who grow most of the world’s fruit and vegetables, and who are themselves often food insecure.

Food waste impacts everyone, but hurts the world’s poor most. It is they who are most likely to face food scarcity and to suffer from the extreme weather events caused by climate change. Ryp Labs offers a safe, simple, and scalable solution to the problem of food waste that can increase food security and promote resource and energy conservation. This could benefit food growers, retailers, and consumers worldwide, but have an outsized impact in low-income countries. 

King Philanthropies’ investment in Ryp Labs is helping decarbonize food supply chains and improve livelihoods.